The Recruit
by JasNutter
Summary: Wheedling out an allegiance shouldn't have been that easy, but it was.


It was late – late enough for the bar to be near empty and cast in flickering shadows of dimming lamps. A hooded figure sat motionless at the end of the room, and he had not moved a hair since he swooped in ten minutes prior. He was, it seemed, waiting for someone. Across the room, the barman, having been waved away not long before, eyed him with growing suspicion over a sheaf of parchments. Old Billy, who feigned deafness regularly, sat two tables away, playing with his drink and reveling in the comfort of near solitude. There was no one else.

The bells at the door sounded, interrupting their silent tripartite, and Billy made no movement to indicate he had heard. Both the barman and the mysterious man stirred however, and the former returned to his parchments when another hooded figure entered, seeming to glide between the tables, for there were no footsteps.

With the barest rustle of fabric, he slid into a seat across his cloaked companion. They both drew their hoods back, and Billy saw in his in peripheral vision, two men of tender age – barely out of their teens, both glowing an identical pearly ghostliness in what little light there was; both dark-haired; both handsome. Billy wondered what business they could possibly have in this dingy bar.

One of them moved first, leaning forwards and steepling long, pale fingers under his chin. When he spoke, it was a low, rumbling murmur, only just audible.

"I suppose you have me here as a potential recruit", he said, the statement posed as a question.

The second man, identical spidery fingers laced upon the tabletop, laughed a cold laugh, devoid of any humor. "If I could recruit you", he said, his voice carrying an equal measure of frost as his laugh, "I wouldn't have dawdled so long. I have no intention of trying."

"What is it you asked to meet me for then, if I am not to join your friends?" he asked, sounding impatient, albeit interested. Billy's own interest was rousing. This part of Hogsmead had an astonishing lack of anything curious, and suddenly recruits? What for? He strained his ears, peering into his drink as he tried to catch the next words.

The mirthless laughter was back."There is no need for pretense, not between you and me. We both know they are more of servants than friends. You are of no use to me as a servant. You I would like as a friend."

The silence that followed hovered heavily between them. Billy could almost hear his curiosity screaming. He listened.

"Why?" he asked simply.

"You have", the man replied, leaning forward hungrily, "a fortunate lineage. A long line of purebloods. I, on the other hand, have not been as fortunate, as you so helpfully unearthed for me a couple of years ago, and kept concealed."

There was a slight nod of acknowledgement.

"You come from a long line of purebloods; the purest wizarding families – like my forefathers", he continued." My mother did a terrible injustice to their name. I am, nonetheless, their heir, and I must set right what she did wrong. I must be the one to complete what they started."

"You mean", came the interjection, "rid the wizarding world of the muggleborns? It was you wasn't it – the Chamber of Secrets?" He sounded distinctly amused. "Clever. Quite clever."

Billy however, listening with all his might, was not the slightest bit amused. Nor did he think it was clever. He'd heard about this, the whole Chamber of Secrets business, how a young, blundering oaf of a boy had been caught and expelled, wrongly it seemed now. A sudden chill crept up Billy's spine and struggled to breathe, hoping they would leave soon. He would make his way straight to the ministry.

"– mudblood filths, soiling our world, asking for rights", the man was now saying vehemently. "I will destroy them, when I have power. This world will be in my making. Will you join me?"

There was a pause, and Billy waited with bated breath.

"I have no interest in their cause", he replied slowly, seeming to choose his words very carefully. "And I have none in yours. You know this."

"Ah – but the limitless power that is to be had, and together we will seek it. We are both accomplished, brightest of our age – ",

"I have no interest in power either", he interrupted, sounding very impatient now. "Or money. Or blood. I do not care. It doesn't affect me."

There was a pause.

"But there is knowledge – a boundless well of information you long for", the man said, voice lower than ever, smooth and dangerous. "It's locked to you, and you despise that."

"I know about things you haven't even dreamt of, things you don't know even existed – knowledge hidden away from you."

There was another pause, and Billy sneaked a glance at the man, his handsome features oddly twisted. He may have imagined it, but his eyes seemed to glow like dying embers in the shadows. Billy, frightened, resumed examining his drink.

"All of these things – and more, I can show you. If you'll join me."

A brief, contemplative silence followed.

"What we spoke of that night", the man being implored to said softly and haltingly. "Outside Slughorn's office – do you remember it?"

"Of course I remember it", came the swift reply.

"Has it been done?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Billy saw the suddenly snake-like man move as though he was uncoiling, and reach into his robes, pulling out an ornament which glinted and shone brilliantly even in the muted light. His counterpart drew a wand from his sleeve and tapped it once, making it glow.

"The original", Billy heard him say. "This is to contain it?"

"Yes", was the hissed reply.

"I would like to witness it", the man said, suddenly very enthusiastic. "The process."

"Of course."

"I'm sure you want something in return?"

"There is one thing", he said, stowing the locket away. "Your brother, in the ministry – he holds a lot of power."

For the first time through the entire encounter, a real laugh sounded, although it was low and abrupt.

"I would say he's just a lowly ministry official", the laughing man said, "but there is no need for pretense between you and me. What about him?"

His acquaintance seemed to find no humor in this. "He is looking into me, it seems, trying to have me tracked. I want him deterred. Tell him I'm your friend, and we'll be traveling together. Convince him I am in no way suspicious."

"We have a deal. He will remain unconcerned with your business, as long as no harm comes to me from your hands."

Billy watched the drawing of wands, the sealing of the deal – now magically bound, and he shivered. There would be no use going to the ministry if these men had connections there. He contemplated going to Dumbledore up at the school. Yes, definitely. They were both preparing to leave now, exchanging plans – when and where they would next meet, and how they would go about their travels. Billy waited, his stomach in knots, as they headed towards the door, and disappeared into the darkness outside.

He stood and leaned against the table, shaky on his legs, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. He had a gulp of whiskey to brace himself before he apparated.

And then suddenly, he was looking into a handsome face, smiling down at him cruelly.

"But of course", he said softly, and even as Billy panicked, raised his wand.

The villagers of Hogsmead would be surprised to find, the next day, two dead men in the small local bar, where nothing scandalous had occurred in ages: a well liked barman, slumped where he sat over some parchments, as though asleep, and old, deaf Billy - his half-finished drink spilled all over the the floor beside him: a precursor to deeds much, much worse.


End file.
